Gaza- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday night order IDF troops to enter Gaza and begin closing off terror tunnels that are reportedly being used to launch attacks on Israel.
The decision to send ground troops into Gaza reportedly came less than 24 hours after an attempted massive attack by 13 terrorists who burrowed into Israel through a tunnel near Kibbutz Sufa, but were discovered before they could carry out the attack. Prime Minister Netanyahu has indicated that the military action would be limited in scope.
A statement put out by the Prime Minister’s office reads in part, “In light of Hamas’s continuous criminal aggression, and the dangerous infiltration into Israeli territory, Israel is obligated to act in defense of its citizens.
Meanwhile, according the Jerusalem Post, Hamas violated the humanitarian cease-fire set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when it fired three projectiles at the Eshkol region. The rockets exploded in open areas.
“Hamas bombarded Israel with rockets after the humanitarian truce ended, firing more than 100 projectiles after 3 p.m. Eighty-one rockets hit open areas, two struck built-up areas, damaging two homes, and 20 were intercepted by the Iron Dome air-defense system.
A soldier was lightly wounded by a rocket fragment in the Hof Ashkelon region.
Also on Thursday, a drone from Gaza was detected over the Ashkelon area. The IAF fired a Patriot surface-to-air missile at the craft, destroying it. It was the second Hamas drone to be shot down in recent days.”